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Publisher's Note:

The instant #1 New York Times bestseller! From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Refugee, Ground Zero, and Two Degrees comes this heart-pounding, inventive, and powerful new novel about the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor... as only Alan Gratz can tell it! December 6, 1941: Best friends Frank and Stanley have it good. With their dads stationed at the Pearl Harbor naval base in Hawaii, the boys get to soak up the sunshine while writing and drawing their own comic books. World War II might be raging overseas, but so far America has stayed out of the fight. There's nothing to fear, right? December 7th, 1941: Everything implodes. Frank and Stanley are touring a battleship when Japanese planes zoom overhead, dropping bomb after bomb. As explosions roar and sailors scream, Frank and Stanley realize the unthinkable is happening: Japan is attacking America! The war has come to them. Frantically, the boys struggle to find safety. But disaster and danger are everywhere--from torpedoes underwater to bullets on the beach... to the shocking cruelty that their friends and neighbors show Stanley. Because his mom is Japanese-American, Stanley is suddenly seen as the "enemy." And Frank, who is white, cannot begin to understand what his friend is now facing. If the boys make it through this infamous day, can their friendship--and their dreams--survive? Or has everything they know been destroyed? Told with the immediacy, high-stakes action, and inventive storytelling that make Alan Gratz (Refugee,Ground…

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Heroes: A Novel of Pearl Harbor

by Alan Gratz

Reviewer: Cindy M
Genre: Historical Fiction
Recommended Age: 12+

Overall Book Review:

Alan Gratz is the go-to guy for bringing historical events to life through the eyes of young characters. In this novel, he literally puts his two young characters, Frank and Stanley, smack dab in the middle of the attack on Pearl Harbor. They experience the fear and confusion of that day with the world literally exploding all around them. Mr. Gratz effectively describes the attack so that the reader will feel they are there living the experience with the 13-year-old protagonists.

In addition to the deep dive on the attack, the author also invests substantial page count addressing Frank’s chronic (and probably clinical) fear and showing how Japanese-American citizens are quickly discriminated and turned on after the attack. It is a sobering book. However, it is encouraging to see Frank master his fears and not let them define him. This is a must read for historical fiction fans.

Review of the unabridged audiobook

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language: 3 religious profanities; 3 derogatory names.

Violence/Gore: Discussions about war and WWI; character is always thinking of all the bad things that can happen to him that might result in injury; two separate fistfight between boys, minor injuries; extended, descriptive scene of the bombing of Pearl Harbor with destruction of property and many deaths; soldier is shot in front of two boys; many deaths; boys find bodies in the water, including someone they know well, some description; soldier is caught in explosion of a tank of gas and there is description of his injuries; description of injured soldiers, mentions of blood; explosion that rains down debris, including body parts (stated no description); broken arm; soldiers are on fire; report of a dog attack and injuries.

Sex/Nudity: Girl and a boy a are dating; a boy thinks a girl might like him; soldiers caught in battle have their clothes burned off (non-sexual).

Mature Subject Matter:

World War II, Pearl Harbor, racism/prejudice, death, anxiety/fear, treatment of Japanese-American citizens.

Alcohol/Drug Use:

Adults drink beer.

Overall Book Rating
Profanity/Language
Rating:
3
10
Violence/Gore
Rating:
5
10
Sex/Nudity
Rating:
1
10

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About the Reviewer

Cindy M
An accountant and CPA by profession, I found myself a book reviewer for Squeaky Clean Reads by happenstance. When the opportunity came to transform that website into Compass Book Ratings, I was excited to seize it and meld my business background with my love of books. As the mother of three teenage sons, I have read a large number of children and young adult books and I believe that there is great value in a content review service. As much as we would love to read everything our children read, there just isn’t enough time. I also appreciate being able to select books for myself that are really worth my precious and limited reading time. I believe there is a book out there for everyone–they just have to find it!

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